Amnesia
by Gravity-Chan
Summary: What would you do if you woke up one morning without your memory? This is exactly how Lucy feels when disaster causes her to mysteriously lose her memory. Now she, with the help of old friends and some new ones, must find a way to restore her memory. Short story, may become longer with time. BEWARE: Cheesy soap opera plot! Possible romance later on.
1. Amnesia

**Amnesia: Prologue**

**Author's Note: **The Prologue of my Fairy Tail fanfiction, Amnesia! It has a bit of a cheesy, soap-opera-like plot,

if you get what I mean, but I promise it will be better than it sounds. I hope you enjoy it!

This chapter is rated **K+**, but this may change in later chapters.

* * *

"Hey, are you okay?"

I groaned. My head was pounding horribly, and I felt sick to my stomach.

"Come on, stay with me!"

_Voices?_ I wondered. _No, just one voice._ I opened my eyes a slit, and it felt like all my body could handle. The world around me was blurry. I felt warm hands on my back and under my knees. _I'm... being carried?_

"You're going to be okay, just don't let go!"

_Who's calling me?_ My head throbbed painfully as I was carried. _Where am I_? My eyelids felt heavy, and I fought the urge to close them. _I have to stay awake..._ for some reason this felt important. I heard a gasp and the hands left me. _What's going on?_ I wondered, and I felt a hand grip around my wrist. I can no longer keep track of what's going on. The hand holding me is gone now, and I feel cold and alone.

"Lucy!"

_Lucy... that's my name._ I thought suddenly. But now the voice was gone. I felt the wind on my back... I was falling. That's the last thing I remember before I gave in to darkness and the world went black.

The next thing I remember is a voice in my head, an echo, almost, calling my name.

"Hello..."

_Who are you?_ I try to form words but find that my lips won't move. My eyes are still closed, and won't open. My body weighs a ton. _What's happening to me?_

"Wake up..."

Suddenly, almost against my will, my eyelids part, and I am met with harsh light and color. I moan, almost inaudibly, the tiniest of sounds I'm sure no one could hear.

"Can you hear me?"

_Yes, I can hear you._ I try to say it out loud, but it's obvious that I'm still paralyzed. Only I'm not, because I give the tiniest of nods.

"I'm glad," the voice is becoming more clear. It's not an echo, it's a voice from outside, calling me... I open my eyes farther, somehow finding strength. "Geez, you really freaked me out! What were you thinking?"

My eyes were now half-open, my vision slowly clearing. I see the face of a man above me. I don't see his features, but I can tell he has fair skin and green hair. "Where..." I manage to croak out. My voice is extremely quiet and weak, and I can speak no more than a single word.

"You're in a cave at the bottom of a cliff, by the sea," the man answers. I feel something cool pressed against my lips. "Drink this. It'll taste bitter, but it'll help you get better." I gently parted my lips to allow the liquid inside. The man was right, it was bitter and made me want to cough, but I drank it anyway. If I were sane, I probably wouldn't have accepted strange liquid. But right now, this man felt like the only connection I had to reality.

"What's your name?" the man asked, brushing a strand of my hair away from my face.

_My name? Someone yelled it, I remember..._ "Lucy," I answered, my voice already sounding much better.

"Lucy... cute name," came the reply. I turned my head slightly and focused on the man until I could finally see his features clearly. I blinked a few times, then studied his face carefully. He was young, perhaps twenty or so, with short, somewhat unruly green hair and chestnut brown eyes. "Who are you?" I asked, but I could feel my eyelids drooping. The man chuckled, placing a hand on my head. "The medicine is kicking in," he murmured. "Sleep now, we'll talk when you wake up."

I didn't want to sleep, I wanted answers, but my eyes closed against my will. I felt the mysterious man stroking my hair with his hand, and the action was oddly comforting as I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So, what do you think? I told you it would be cheesy, but I must admit, I like how it turned out.

What do you think? Worth continuing? I probably will continue this, but I still love to hear your feedback! Please review!

Chao!


	2. Memories

**Amnesia: Chapter One**

**Author's Note: **Two updates in two days! I surprise myself sometimes. Don't start expecting this,

because it almost definitely won't happen again. But anyway... This particular chapter is rated **K+**, so no worries right? xD

I love your reviews! Shout out to Kamel2711XD for being my first reviewer! Enjoy the chapter! 3

* * *

I woke up the next morning to the smell of roasting meat. The aroma made my mouth water; It seemed like I hadn't had a decent meal in a while. I slowly, strenuously sat up in bed. _Wait, bed? I thought I was in a cave!_ I looked around, confused. Was it possible that it was all a dream? No... I was still weak, and my head continued to pound. It was too real to be a dream. Besides, I didn't recognize this room. "Hello?" I called out tentatively, pleased to find that my voice was passable now, if not still shaky.

A man glanced around the corner from a small kitchen in another room. I instantly remembered him as the man I'd met yesterday, the one who'd most likely saved my life. he smiled at me. "Morning, Lucy!" he greeted me heartily.

I blinked in confusion. "Where am I?" I asked.

"I brought you back to my house," The man explained, walking out of the kitchen with a plate of food. "Go on, eat up. It's been a while since you last ate."

I took the plate from him gratefully. It's true, I was starving. "How long was I asleep?" I asked in between bites.

The man sat cross-legged on the foot of the bed. "You stayed unconscious for a day and a half," he answered. "I don't think I've every seen anyone sleep so long!" he laughed, shaking his head. "But I guess that's to be expected. Whatever happened to you on the cliff the other day really knocked you out."

I stopped eating, suddenly feeling sick. _I was out for almost two days..._ I realized. _And this cliff... I remember falling, but what happened?_

"You okay?" the man pressed a hand against my forehead. "You have a bit of a fever, but it's not too bad." he paused. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you my name!" he laughed nervously. "My name is Sakamoto Hatsuharu, but you can call me Haru." he said, with a small bow.

I smiled softly. Though Haru was a near-stranger, I already felt close to him. He was easy to talk too. But then my smile faded. "What happened to me out there? The first thing I remember is being carried, and I fell somewhere..."

Haru frowned. "I don't know what happened to you. I was hiding down here from a thunderstorm when I heard shouting, and the next thing I know you were falling from the clifftop. I still have bruises from where you landed on me!" he grinned.

I gave a little smile, but something was nagging at me.

"Huh? What's that?" Haru grasped my hand suddenly, and I jumped. "Eh? What's what?" I asked nervously. I looked down at my hand. Stamped on it was a strange-looking mark. "This is Fairy Tail's logo! You're a Fairy Tail wizard?"

Fairy Tail? my head throbbed painfully, and I winced with a small groan. "Ah, that hurt..." I whispered.

Haru dropped my hand. "Sorry, did I hurt you?" he apologized.

"I... don't know..." I responded, raising a hand to my head. "I can't... remember..."

Haru blinked. "Remember what?" he prompted.

"I can't remember... can't remember anything!" I cried suddenly. It was true. The name Fairy Tail sounded so familiar, I know it must be something I should remember, but I just couldn't. I felt tears in my eyes. I quickly brought a hand up to wipe them away, not wanting to be emotional in front of Haru.

Haru took my wrists, pulling them away from my eyes gently. "Lucy, look at me," he murmured.

I looked up timidly, blinking back tears. Haru's eyes were soft and kind, but determination glinted in them.

"I'm going to help you," Haru said. "If you have the Fairy Tail stamp, someone there is bound to know who you are." he smiled. "So no more tears, okay?"

I blinked in surprise, looking down again. "Haru... you don't have to do that for me," she answered.

"But I want to!" Haru insisted, making me look up again in surprise. He didn't wait for a reply. "I'm going to finish what I started, and I won't take no for an answer." he climbed off of the bed, letting go of my wrists. "Can you stand?"

I nodded, swinging my legs around and climbing out of the bed. My clothes were dirty and wrinkled, as was the rest of me, I noticed. I wobbled slightly on my legs, probably because I had been bedridden for two days, but managed to stay on my feet. Haru handed me a change of clothes. "Here. They're guys clothes, but they're clean and dry..." he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, blushing.

I giggled. "They're fine, thank you," I responded, taking the clothes from him.

"The bathroom is around the corner. Go ahead and take a bath or something, you look like you could use one." Haru added, gesturing to a room on my left. I nodded and walked inside, stripping off my clothes and drawing a bath for myself. I gratefully climbed into the tub, relishing the feeling of the hot water on my skin. I quickly scrubbed the dirt and mud off and washed my hair, wrapping it in a towel before climbing out and drying off. Luckily, my underwear was still fairly clean, and I put that on before pulling on the clothes Haru gave me. They were a little big, but it was better than nothing. As I glanced in the mirror, I noticed a small pile of items on the bathroom counter, including a comb, and belt and some ribbon. A piece of paper lay on top of them, and when I picked it up I noticed it was a note.

_"Go ahead and use the comb for your hair; I don't own a hairbrush but this is better than nothing, right? The ribbon's for the clothes.I figured they would probably be too big for you. I don't have any hair ties. there's also a belt there if the shorts don't fit right."_

I smiled softly, setting the note down and removing the towel from my hair. After running the comb through it enough that it looked decent, I took one ribbon and tied my hair back in a ponytail, using the other to tie back the shirt so it wasn't so baggy. Then I put the belt on. I must admit, it looked really silly to wear a guy's clothes like this, but it was better than running around naked. "Ow..." for some reason that thought must have struck a nerve or something, and I raised a hand to my head. For a brief moment an image flashed in my head, a picture of a boy with dark hair. But it faded as fast as it came. I stared at my reflection for a moment, trying to make sense of what had just happened, but ws pulled from my thoughts by a knock at the door.

"Lucy, you okay?" Haru called through the door.

I blinked, realizing that I must have been in here a while. "Yeah, I'm fine," I responded, opening the door. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

Haru took a step back. "Good, you found my note," he said. "You ready to go?"

I blinked. "Go where?" I asked. I had no idea where my home was, if I had one. I have no friends, no family...

"To Fairy Tail, of course!" Haru grinned widely at me. "Like I said, if we go there someone is bound to recognize you! You've got their stamp, so you must be a member!"

_It's true! If I am a member of Fairy Tail, I'll definitely know people there_! "Okay, let's go!" I agreed, giving a wide smile. It was first genuine smile I can remember giving.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yay, another update! This chapter was surprising easy ti write, considering I took half to time developing Haru's name...

Anyway, what do you think? Likes, dislikes? Don't be afraid to be a grammar Nazi either, I understand xD

Also, don't be afraid to review me! I absolutely love hearing your feedback, likes and dislikes. Thanks! Love you guys!

Chao!


	3. My Story

**Chapter Two: My Story**

**Author's Note: **Chapter Two! I must say, I'm starting to fall in love with this story. But I still want to hear what you have to say! Please review me! This chapter is rated **K+**.

* * *

"Slow down!" I cried. Haru pulled me by the wrist through the crowds of Magnolia, the town that he lived in.

"Come on, slowpoke, we're almost there!" Haru responded excitedly, his eyes sparkling. "The guild is just up ahead!"

I stumbled as I tried to avoid trampling any children underfoot. "I can't keep up!" I insisted.

Haru sighed and finally slowed; thought not by much it allowed me to keep up.

I let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you," I panted. "Geez, you're faster than you look!"

Haru grinned back at me. "I get that a lot," he answered, and continued to yank me forward until they came to the front of a huge building. It was probably the largest building in the town as far as I could see, and on the front was a banner depicting the same logo that was stamped on the back of my hand.

"This is the Fairy Tail guild hall," Haru announced. "And, if my suspicious is correct, the answer to your problem."

I looked up at the building. For some reason it seemed both intimidating and welcoming at the same time. "Haru, are you sure about this?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Haru's answer took me by surprise. He grinned down at me. "This _has _to be your guild."

I swallowed, but he had a point. "…Okay, let's go," I said finally, and Haru took my wrist again, pulling me forward, more gently than before. He pushed open the double doors to the guild but immediately jumped back as a flying chair landed right in front of him, splintering and collapsing.

"You wanna go, Iceface?" a boy, probably seventeen or eighteen, yelled at another boy with raven-black hair. His dark eyes burned with anger.

"Let's dance, pinky!" the boy retorted, throwing a fist at his aggressor. It was an honest insult; the first boy did indeed have pink hair.

A short girl with blue hair groaned. "Gray, where are your clothes?" she cried, waving her arms at the raven-haired boy.

Gray looked up in confusion, then down at himself. All that was left of his clothes were his boxers. "Uwah! When did this happen?" he exclaimed, picking up his discarded clothes from the floor and quickly pulling them on.

The pink-haired boy laughed, pointing at Gray, but then stopped when he spotted the two newcomers. For a moment he looked confused, then his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "Lucy?!"

Gray looked up, still pulling on his shirt, and gaped at the sight. "Lucy, you're alive!" he cried, forgetting his half-buttoned shirt.

"Lu-chan!" I screamed when I felt myself assaulted by the blue-haired girl from earlier, who wrapped her arms around me in a giant bear hug.

I untangled herself from the girl gently, feeling overwhelmed. "It worked; they know who I am…" I said.

Gray blinked in confusion. "Of course we know who you are! What the hell are you talking about?" his gaze turned from me to Haru. "And who's this creep?"

"He's a friend," I answered immediately. "He's been helping me, for the last few days."

Haru bit his lip. "Lucy has…" he paused, not necessarily being the one to say it.

I looked down at my hands, which were folded in my lap. "I lost my memory."

Gray took a step back, as if my words had physically hurt him. "You… what?"

The pink-haired boy, who had been silent during this whole ordeal, balled his hands into fists. "Oh God, this is all my fault…" he murmured.

Gray looked back at the boy. "Natsu, we already agreed that this was nobody's fault…"

I looked up quickly. _Natsu… I know that name. And Gray's too…"_

"But it was my fault!" Natsu insisted. "If I hadn't… then maybe…" his voice trailed off and he clenched his teeth. For some reason I had the urge to comfort him, but I stayed where I was.

"Lu-Chan, you really don't remember anything?" I turned to see the blue-haired girl still at my side. Her voice was shaking, and I could see the disbelief in her eyes. I frowned sadly, shaking my head. "I'm sorry."

"Levy," Gray put his hand on the girl's shoulder, a strange form of comfort but it seemed to work. Levy quieted, looking down at her lap.

I looked up at Gray. "Please, tell me what happened," I whispered.

Gray exchanged a glance with Natsu, and nodded. "Get Erza. She should be part of this conversation as well," he said, and Natsu nodded, running up a flight of stairs to the second floor of the guild. Gray turned back to me. "Lucy, come with me. We can go back to your house. It seems like the best place to talk."

I looked up. "My… house?" I answered.

Gray nodded. "Just follow me." He glanced at Haru, looking a bit suspicious. "Him too, I guess," he added, and helped me to my feet. "Natsu and Erza will meet us there." He led me out of the guild and down the main road, the same one that Haru had led my down just minutes before. He passes a number of houses before stopping at one in particular, walking up to it and opening the door. Apparently, it was unlocked, and he walked right inside, closing the door behind him. He sat down on the couch.

Not really knowing what to do, I sat down on the bed in the corner of the room, and Haru leaned against the wall next to it. It was an odd place to stand, and I felt strangely like Haru was being protective of me. I blushed lightly, but didn't let anyone see it. We sat in silence for a few minutes, and I fiddled with the hem of the leg of the shorts Haru had lent me, staring at the mark on my hand. _Fairy Tail… my guild…_ I looked up again suddenly as the door flew open and Natsu walked in, a tall woman with long red hair behind him. _That must be Erza._

Natsu sat down on the opposite side of the couch from Gray, looking crestfallen, and he wouldn't meet my gaze. Erza pulled a spare chair that belonged to the desk in the corner, and sat down in that, stone-faced.

I paused, and when nobody said anything, I took a breath. "So…" I murmured awkwardly, still fiddling with my shorts. Gray glanced at me. "What are you wearing?"

"That's not important!" I snapped, glaring at Gray. It was obvious they were avoiding telling me this story. "Gray, what happened to me? Why can't I remember anything?"

Gray took a deep breath, exchanging a glance with Erza. "Well," he began. "It happened about three days ago…"

_Natsu's breath came in labored puffs and he glared up at the monster assaulting them. It was hard to see because of the dark night, but he could still make out the monster's outline. "What the hell is that thing?" he yelled. The monster was huge; a giant black dog-like creature, with a long, barbed tail. A tall, dark haired man stood behind it, and the dog seemed to be emerging from the man's shadow. "You like my Shadow Beast?" he asked, cackling._

_Gray grunted. "How do we beat it?" he turned to Natsu and Erza, but neither one of them looked to be in good shape. Natsu was worn out, and it seemed that whenever he touched the shadows, his fire mysteriously went out. Erza was another story. Her right arm was sliced up and bleeding heavily, and she clutched her shoulder with her left hand, panting and fighting the unconsciousness that crept from the edges of her vision._

_Lucy stood at the back of the group. In a rush that morning, she had misplaced her Gate Keys, which were sitting on her desk at home, so she was pretty much useless at this point._

_ "We can't beat it," Gray said suddenly. "My ice won't touch it, Natsu's fire won't get near it, Erza's out of commission, and Lucy doesn't have her Gate Keys. We have no choice but to abandon the mission."_

_Natsu turned on the raven-haired teen, smoldering. "You can't be serious!" he cried._

_"Enough dawdling!" the strange man controlling the Shadow Beast snapped, and suddenly the monster lurched forward, swiping out a massive paw. Natsu and gray managed to dodge in time, and it barely missed Erza, but Lucy screamed as she was knocked back by the monster. Her head cracked hard against the ground and she felt dizziness creep into her vision, but she fought to keep her consciousness._

_"Lucy!" Natsu cried._

_Gray turned. "Natsu, we have to get out of here, now!"_

_Though Natsu hated to leave a fight, he could see how dire the situation was. He nodded, running forward and scooping Lucy up off of the ground. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked desperately. He dashed for the clearing he knew was beyond the trees, straight for the line of the cliffs nearby. "Stay with me!" If only he could get to clear ground, he knew he could get away. He heard Gray right behind him, dragging Erza with him. "You're gonna be okay, just don't let go!"_

_"Natsu, watch out!" Gray called out, and Natsu stole a glance behind him to see that the Shadow Beast was rapidly pursuing them, snapping its jaws at the team. He jumped out of the way of its jaws but gasped in pain as its forepaw collided with his head, knocking him over. He felt Lucy's body fly from his grasp, and he lunged forward, grabbing Lucy's wrist right as she went over the edge of the cliff._

_"Natsu!" Gray cried desperately. The monster was gaining on them quickly, and he could feel Lucy's wrist slipping from his grasp. When he tried to pull her up, the ground gave suddenly, and he lost his grip on Lucy's wrist. He gasped in shock as he watched Lucy's body disappear from his sight._

_"Lucy!"_

* * *

**Author's Note: **Introducing Gray, Natsu, Erza and Shadow! Shadow is my "villain character", who can control the shadows with magic. I never mentioned his name in this chapter, but he is mentioned in my One-Shot "Shadows". So yeah. What do you think? Kind of OOC... idk xP


	4. I'll Help You

**Chapter Three: Lonely**

**Author's Note: **Chapter Three! This one isn't as long as the other chapters, I think (minus the prologue), and I struggled a little with transitions,

but overall I think it turned out fairly nicely. Reviews? I love them!

This Chapter is rated **K+**, which may change later in the story.

* * *

I covered my mouth with me hand. 'So that's what happened...' I thought. "Oh, god..."

Gray nodded. "Of course we went down and tried to find you, but you were gone. We had no idea what happened to you." He looked away.

I glanced at Natsu, who still hadn't even glanced my way once. He had his head resting on his hand and his face was full of guilt as Gray told the story. 'The poor guy... he really feels bad about what happened.' I thought, sighing.

Just then, Natsu stood up. "I'll be right back," he muttered, and went out the door. Gray glanced after him, surprised and a bit confused. "Usually he would just jump out the window," he murmured.

Erza nodded, "He took the accident harder than the rest of us," she agreed. "For the last three days he's done nothing but sit at the bar with MiraJane. He barely ate or slept, and he didn't take a single mage job. And every day he would come here for a couple of hours. He kept saying that when you came back you would come here first." she paused, taking a deep breath, "And I must admit, I didn't believe him."

Gray nodded, sighing. "We thought you were dead for sure," he added. I nodded, remembering how Natsu had been waiting here when I returned. 'He was the only one who had faith I would return...'

"I would have been dead if Haru hadn't been there to save me," I said, smiling up at Haru. Haru cracked a small smile, but he still looked agitated for some reason. He kept glancing out the door Natsu had left wide open, a grim expression on his face. I looked back at Gray, determining not to question him about it.

"Well, now we've told you our story, so what about you? Where have you been the last three days?"

I paused, trying to figure out how to begin the story. "Well, I remember waking up for a little while in the cave by the beach. Haru had taken me in there, but then I passed out again." I paused, thinking, "I was unconscious for two days, and when I woke up it was the morning of my third day, I think. Then I found this." I held out my hand, the one with the logo on it. "It's the only reason we had to come to Fairy Tail." I put my hand back in my lap gently, as if it were made of brittle glass.

Gray nodded. "We all have one, specifically for that purpose. To identify ourselves as Fairy Tail guild members." He pulled back his button-up shirt, revealing his own mark. "It's a good thing we have them."

I nodded, looking down at the mark again. The Fairy Tail insignia flashed red on my pale skin, and I sighed. I glanced down at my lap. noticing I was still wearing Haru's clothes. "I should change," I murmured, standing up.

Gray nodded. "Erza and I should be heading back to the guild. When Natsu comes back, tell him where we are."

I nodded with a small smile and closed the door behind them, turning to Haru. He didn't move from his spot, and I turned to the dresser in the back of the room, rooting through the drawers until I had found a suitable outfit to change into.

"I'm going to go as well," Haru said suddenly, righting himself off of the wall. I turned to him, blinking. "Already?" I replied, a little disappointed. Haru nodded. "I don't want to overstay my welcome, but I'll come back and visit you sometime." I smiled. "Yeah, Id like that."

Then, without warning. Haru stepped forward and hugged me. it really wasn't wrong, considering that he'd been caring for me the last three days, but I was still surprised. "You can give my clothes back when I visit," he said, drawing back. I nodded, blushing lightly. "Okay," I replied, and Haru smiled at me, patting my head lightly. "I'll see ya around, okay?" he walked to the door, not even turning to look back as he left, closing the door behind him.

I sighed, picking up my clothes and walking into the bathroom. I slipped Haru's clothes off of me and put on my own, feeling much more comfortable in my own clothes. I picked up Haru's shirt and shorts and folded them neatly, placing them in the bottom drawer of my dresser. I ran my hand over the fabric lightly, sighing again. I already missed Haru; he was the first person I saw when I woke up, and he was so kind to me. Suddenly I felt empty. Sure, I had all these friends at Fairy Tail who knew me, but I had next to no idea who they were. In a sense, Haru was my best friend now. Without thinking I reached up with my hand to wipe a tear away from my eye, and realized that I was crying. I took a deep breath, banishing these feelings, and sat down on my bed, not exactly sure what to do. I could go back to Fairy Tail, but I wasn't sure I was ready for the undoubted barrage of questions that would come from the other guild members concerning my absence. I could go explore the town, but it was so big I would probably get lost trying to get anywhere, 'Or I could just stay here,' I realized, and sighed, laying down on the bed with my arms splayed. "This sucks," I muttered, blinking back my tears. just then the door opened again, and I sat up as Natsu walked in, looking confused.

"No wonder it's so quiet, there's nobody here," he said, looking around. "Where did Gray and Erza go?"

"They went back to the guild," I answered.

Natsu ran a hand through his pink hair. "Impatient brats," he muttered, closing the door and looking down at me. "Hey, you okay? You look like you've been crying."

"N-No!" I said quickly, not wanting to show any weakness. "I was just... thinking." I mumbled the last part, blushing.

Natsu sighed. "You're a horrible liar," he said flatly, sitting next to me on the bed. "Come on, what's really wrong?" he looked over at me, concerned, his eyebrows furrowed lightly. He actually looked kind of cute like that.

I paused, then sighed in defeat. "I was just... kind of lonely," I murmured softly, almost inaudibly. "Haru already went back to his house, and this is pretty much the only place I can go to..."

"There's always Fairy Tail," Natsu pointed out, but of course I'd thought of that already. "I can't go back yet," I responded, shaking my head. "I'm not ready for all the questions; I don't think I could handle it. I'd probably have a mental breakdown and humiliate myself."

"Even if that did happen, they'd forget about it after a couple of days."

"You're not helping."

"Sorry." Natsu ran a hand through his hair again, a seemingly nervous habit of his. The room fell silent, and I fiddled with the hem of my skirt in an attempt to break the tension in the air.

"I'll help you get your memories back," Natsu said suddenly, breaking the silence. I looked up in surprise. Natsu went on, not waiting for a reply. "I'm not sure how, but we'll think of something, right?" he turned to me and grinned, something that seemed so familiar, yet also distant. A memory, perhaps? I wasn't sure, but I instinctively smiled back.

"Okay, deal."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yay! xD we'll see where I end up going with this. By the way, besides the solid plot,

I'm making this up on the spot. There really isn't a set storyline. If you want, make a suggestion to me!I'll read them

and maybe include them if I like them. Thanks for your support! Love you guys!

Chao!


	5. Jobs

**Chapter Four: Jobs**

**Author's Note: **Chapter Four! Sorry it took so long, it was hard to get on the computer to upload it. Anyway, here it is! I hope you like it!

This chapter is rated **K+**.

* * *

I blinked my eyes open, grumbling tiredly. I flipped from my back to my side, carelessly flinging my legs off the edge of the bed and sitting up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I stood and stretched, yawning deeply, and flicked the light on, blinking against the harsh light that ensued. It had been almost a week since I'd returned to Fairy Tail. The headaches were mostly gone now, though they still came when I tried to think too hard. Feeling lazy, I pulled on my usual clothes and ran a hairbrush through my knotted hair, tying part of it off in a side ponytail. I smiled to myself in the mirror and grabbed my Gate Keys from my desk, securing them to one of the belt loops on my skirt before heading out of the house. The sun was out today, and I sighed contentedly in the warm, nice weather. Clasping my hands behind my head, I walked down the street towards the guild.

"Hey guys, I'm here!" I called as I opened the door, then screamed and jumped back as a chair broke practically at my feet, splintering with a loud _CRACK!_

"You wanna go, Iceface?" Natsu was facing off against Gray in the center of the guild floor, the tables around them strewn across the remaining space.

"Let's dance, Pinky!" Gray retorted, throwing a fist at his aggressor.

Levy groaned and rolled her eyes at the two. "Gray, where are your clothes?" She cried, half-angry and half-embarrassed.

Gray glanced at Levy, confused, than realized he was in just his boxers. "Uwah! When did this happen?" He exclaimed, snatching up his discarded clothes and quickly pulling them on.

Natsu laughed, pointing a finger at Gray. He glanced at the door, finally spotting me. "Lucy! You're here!" he exclaimed with a grin.

Gray glared at Natsu. Sometimes the pink-haired boy could be so dense it gave him headaches. He quickly buttoned the last button on his shirt, sighing. "Morning, Lucy," he greeted her with a half-smile. He was obviously sore about Natsu abandoning their fight.

I glared at both of them. "Are you two crazy?" I cried, throwing my hands in the air. "You could've killed me with that stupid chair!"

Somewhere in the back of the room, Mira laughed. She said something to Lisanna, who was sitting next to her, and she giggled. I glared at Mira, even though I couldn't tell exactly what she had said.

Natsu ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Stripper over there just had to go and piss me off, like usual." Gray snorted contemptuously, but had the brains not to react this time. He sat down in a chair, crossing his arms over his chest. He mumbled something under his breath, probably a colorful insult.

I sighed. "You're both idiots." I responded, bopping Natsu on the head. I made my way through the crowd towards the Job Request Board, looking over the jobs posted there. None in particular caught my eye, but I kept looking anyway.

I paused when I saw Natsu come up to me out of the corner of my eye. "What do you want?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Just helping you pick out a job for us," he responded, glancing over the board.

"Who says I want to go with you?" I snapped. "You just tried to kill me with a flying chair! Why would I go on a job with you?"

"Because we're a team!"

I groaned, rubbing my temples. "You're giving me a headache," I grumbled. "No, you are a headache."

Natsu flashed me one of his signature grins, then looked back at the board. His happy face disappeared but was replaced by a thoughtful one as he pulled one of the jobs down. "How about this one, Luce?" he suggested, shoving the paper in my face.

I took the flyer from him, blinking in confusion. "What the hell is this?!" I cried. The request was to kill some sort of rare, deadly monster. "Forget it! You can do that one on your own!"

Natsu groaned. "Come on, Lucy! How hard can it be to kill one monster?"

Lucy glared at Natsu. "I don't want to find out!" I retorted. "Either find another one or go by yourself!"

"Ugh, fine," Natsu grumbled, defeated. He pinned the job back on the board and crossed his arms, looking for another job.

Mira looked up from wher the was polishing a beer glass. "Looking for a job? I've got a new one that just came in this morning. I haven't put it on the board yet." She paused in her job for a moment, reaching under the counter and returning with a yellow flyer and a red and white stone.

"What's that rock for?" Natsu asked, taking the items from her. I snatched the paper away from Natsu before he could make any decisions. I glanced down at the flyer.

_"Wizards needed! Recently, a man infiltrated my mansion's guards and stole my most valuable treasure! It is of infinite value to me, and it is of great importance that you get it back. I will explain the details of the mission when you arrive. Thank you very much, Master Hanzo."_

I looked the paper over again. "This mission is very vague," I commented. The message was short and had little to no description of the actual job. This was all that was written on the paper; the rest was completely blank. "Is this a prank or something?" I murmured, reading the message again. I handed the paper to Natsu. "What do you think?"

Natsu read over the note, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "This is the job? Sounds easy!" he said after a minute.

I still felt doubtful; something was nagging at me, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"I'll go get Gray and Erza!" Natsu exclaimed, handin me the flyer and running off. I handed it to Mira. "We'll take it," I said quickly, and turned to chase after Natsu. "Slow down!"

* * *

I glanced dow at tue address printed on the piece of paper, then back up at the house number. "This is the place," I said, tucking the paper into my pocket. It was a simple house for someone rich like Hanzo, way bigger than mine but not big enough to be considered a mansion. I walked up to the front door, grasping the knocker and giving it a nice knock. I the stepped back and waited for the door to open.

The door was answered by a pretty young woman who looked to be about 30 years old. She smiled kindly at the four of us. "Hello, how may I help you?" she asked.

"We're here about the job that Master Hanzo posted," Gray answered.

The woman clapped her hands together. "Yes, of course!" she exclaimed excitedly, ushering us inside the house. "My husband is in his study. Please, come his way."

I exchanged a confused look with Gray but followed the woman inside. I still had an uneasy feeling, but I figured it was just because I was nervous. It was actually the first job I had been on since the accident; for the last week I had been getting reaccustomed to life at the guild and recovering from my injuries. I kept close to my team, feeling safer surrounded by familiar faces.

"Here we are," the woman said, and carefully opened the door. "There are four wizards here to see you, dear," she called softly. I couldn't see the exchange, but figured the woman was calling to her husband.

"Ah, yes, bring them in, Morena" the reply came, and the woman walked in. I followed behind her, the rest of my team at my heels.

Morena walked across the room and sat next to her husband, who could only be Hanzo.

Erza stepped forward, bowing politely. "Master Hanzo," she greeted. I mimicked her, bowing my head respectfully.

Hanzo smiled at us. He was a friendly-looking man, tall with neatly parted brown hair and a clean shaven face. He wore a black business suit and tie. "Welcome, my friends. I must thank you for accepting my job."

"Of course, Master Hanzo," Erza replied.

Hanzo chuckled. "No need for formalities. You may call me Hanzo. Come, sit down," he motioned to the couch opposite his, and the four of us sat down, eager to hear more about our mission.

Hanzo shifted his position slightly, his hands on his lap. "I apologize for the vague description on your job notice," he said. "I'm afraid I was in a bit of a frenzy when I discovered someone had taken my treasure."

"We understand," Erza replied. It wasn't unusual for her to do the talking; she had the most sense of all of us. "Do you have any idea who the culprit is?"

Hanzo nodded. "Yes," he said. "He is a fierce and skilled wizard. No one knows his real name, but he goes by another name."

"What's his name?" I asked. I had a sinking feeling I would regret asking this question, but I had to know in order to do the mission.

"He goes by the name of Shadow."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hurray for updates! There ya go, guys! :3 I'll probably finish this off in a few more chapter depending on how it goes. You guys like? Please review, I love to hear feedback! Also, sorry about the typos, I was typing this on my phone and didn't have a lot of time to proofread. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Chao!


	6. Confrontation

**Chapter Five: Confrontation**

**Author's Note: **Sorry it's been so long since I updated this! I plan on ending it soon. It'll be short, but it was always intended to be a short fanfiction. Anyway, I already have plans for a new one, so it should be uploaded soon! c: Thanks for reading this!

This chapter is rated **K.**

* * *

I looked at the man, confused, then at Natsu. My eyes widened when I saw Natsu's face had gone ghostly white. "N-Natsu? You okay?" I asked. Erza and Gray looked shocked as well.

Natsu clenched his teeth. "You're gotta be freaking kidding me!" he yelled suddenly. "That's the guy we're hunting?!"

I shrunk a bit. "Erza, who's Shadow?" I asked, but Erza didn't answer my question. She looked down at Natsu. Her face was set in determination. "This is our chance!" she said. "We should take advantage of it."

Gray nodded agreement. "We can't pass up this opportunity!"

Hanzo clasped his hands together. "Will you take the job?" he asked. "I take it you're acquainted with this man? I don't mind giving it to another team."

"No," Natsu said immediately. "We're taking the job. I have a score to settle with this "Shadow" creep." He clenched his fist, his eyes smoldering with anger.

I pouted, annoyed. "Who's Shadow?" I repeated for what seemed like the tenth time.

Natsu looked down at me, guilt flashing in his onyx black gaze. "Don't worry about it," he murmured, placing a hand on the top of my head. He sat back down but didn't move his hand away. I ducked slightly from the contact, looking confused, but decided bot to ask again. Something in Natsu's eyes told me not to.

Hanzo clapped his hands together. "Wonderful!" he exclaimed, and handed a piece of paper to Erza. "Here are some directions you can use to find Shadow's hideout."

Erza took the paper from Hanzo and nodded. "Thank you. We will return here when our mission is completed."

Hanzo stood, clasping his hands in front of him. "Very well," he said with a stern expression. "I trust you are capable of handling this mission?" he glanced purposefully at Natsu, who looked ready to tear the man's head off.

Erza narrowed her eyes slightly. "Of course. We will carry out the quest to the best of our abilities," she replied, then turned and swept out of the room. Gray followed close behind, dragging a smoldering Natsu behind him. The dragon-slayer seemed deep in thought, and I couldn't help but wonder just what was going through the man'd mind. Sighing, I shook my head and resolved to ask someone later.

We left the manner in a hurry, Erza taking the map and steering us in the right direction. The directions on the map led into a secluded part of the forest about a hour's walk from Hanzo's mansion, where few people chose to go because wild beasts roamed the land there and attacked people walking through. Why anyone would choose to make their home there was a mystery to me. Reluctantly, I followed the others into the forest, keeping close and lowering my head, looking around uncertainly. The dark forest was intimidating and there was something vaguely familiar about it, making me shiver ever though it wasn't cold.

I closed my eyes briefly but they opened again quickly at the feeling of a hand on my shoulder. I straitened my back and looked up, seeing Natsu, wearing one of his signature grins. I couldn't help but smile back, letting myself relax slightly. Even if I didn't really remember Natsu, it was reassuring to have him at my side, a natural presence.

I let go of my fears, following closely behind Erza and Gray. Every step felt like I was a step closer to something big, but I kept walking anyway. There was no turning back now.

As we entered the forest, I tried to ignore my dim surroundings, focusing my gaze on the path in front of my feet. I only stopped to look up when Erza suddenly halted in front of me. I attempted to peer around her. "Erza...?"

Erza glanced over her shoulder at me sternly, holding a finger to her lips. "We're almost there," she whispered, so low I doubted Gray could hear from the back of the group.

I gulped and pressed my lips together, trying to calm my speeding heartbeat. Something about this place made me want to run and hide, although I would never embarrass myself like that in real life.

Erza stalked forward with silence and grace only she possessed, peering around a tree. I followed her lead, making sure there was as little of my face showing as possible. From what I could see, the camp was fairly small, consisting of a few tents crowded around a campfire. A few men, probably soldiers, sat around the fire, laughing and joking and drinking and being oblivious to their surroundings. I pulled my head back and saw Natsu and Gray regarding me with expectant expressions.

"Well?" Natsu asked impatiently.

Erza drew back her head at last. "There are three tents," she explained. "From the looks of it there is a small party of about twelve men staying at this camp."

"Shadow must be in one of them," Gray added, glancing around the corner to the camp where their targey was supposed to be hiding.

Natsu thrust a fist into his open hand, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, let's do this!" he said, and stood up. There was a fierce determination in his eyes that I had not seen before. However, I could see something else in his eyes, hidden behind his determined mask, something I couldn't describe. I stared at his profile, puzzled, until Gray touched me lightly on the shoulder. I blinked and turned to him.

Gray had a concerned expression on his face, his dark hair framing his pale face. "Are you ready for this?" he asked. I stared at him, confused, but nodded, and allowed him to help me to my feet.

"We should come up with a plan," I suggested, but before anyone could answer there was a voice from behind me.

"Ah, so Fairy Tail's strongest team has returned, have they?" I spun around, surprised to see a tall, dark-skinned man standing behind me with long black hair tied back in a ponytail. The man continued without pausing. "I must say I'm surprised you bothered to return, after your horrible defeat a few days back." the man sneered, showing off his surprisingly white teeth.

Beside me, I felt Natsu tense up, and I glanced up to see that he was seething with anger. His onyx eyes were alight with fury, and flames burst from his knuckles, sending his fists ablaze with magical fire. "Shadow," he murmured darkly. "I hoped to never have to see that stupid face again."

Shadow laughed as if it were some kind of cruel joke, throwing his head back, then looked down again, fixing his dark eyes on me. I cringed under his knowing gaze.

"Lucy Heartfilia," Shadow droned on, and I froze; how did this creep know my name? Shadow's grin broadened. "I'm most surprised to see you here. I thought I'd killed you for certain when I knocked you off that cliff."

My eyes widened. In front of me was the man who caused my amnesia. The man who had single-handedly ruined all my friendships and practically taken everything I owned. I felt anger bubbling inside me, but Natsu reacted before I had the chance.

"You bastard!" he cried, rushing forward and punching Shadow straight in the face. This move seemed to catch Shadow off guard, and he staggered backward into his camp, clutching his now bleeding and most likely broken nose.

Shadow stood up and gripped his nose, pulling it painfully back into place. "That was... unexpected, Natsu Dragneel," he said, narrowing his eyes. "You always were the wild one, hard to predict. But I won't be so easily fooled next time."

Gray smirked. "Heh. I would hope not. You'd be too easy to kill if you weren't." He made a few odd movements with his hands, something I'd seen him do before to summon his magic. "Ice Make: Lance!" he cried, and sharp lances sprouted from the ground at his feet, shooting towards Shadow.

Shadow dodged nimbly out of the way of each artificial lance, sidestepping and jumping to avoid the sharp objects. The scenario seemed familiar, too familiar to be a coincidence, and I felt my head throb painfully. The pain was so intense that I let out a little gasp of pain and stumbled back, falling backwards.

"Lucy!" Immediately Natsu was behind me, catching me and holding me up. I clutched at my head with one hand, trying to ward off the pain. "Lucy, are you okay?" Natsu asked, concern and worry thick in his voice.

I opened my mouth to respond, but all that came out was a strained groan. The pain was getting worse, and I felt my knees buckle and collapse. Before I could hit the ground, Natsu swept me up with an arm under my knees, hoisting me into his arms bridal style. "I'm sorry," I managed to mumble as I fisted my hand in Natsu's vest.

Natsu didn't answer, but I heard Erza's voice, though it sounded far away. "I'm going to help Gray. You care for Lucy," she said, and I watched through fuzzy sight as she jumped into the fight, hefting a sword in her hands.

Natsu sat and leaned against a tree, laying me down with my head in his lap. I was still holding tightly to the material of his vest. "I'm sorry," I choked out again.

Natsu brushed a strand of hair from my face. "It's okay," he murmured in reply. "You just... focus on getting better."

I managed a weak nod and finally loosened my hand from Natsu's vest, letting it drop next to my head. Deftly, Natsu reached his own hand down and grasped mine, intertwining his fingers with mine. I smiled softly and let my head roll to the side, touching my nose to our intertwined hands, and finally allowed the pain in my head to overtake me, letting the world fade to black.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Ooh, what's gonna happen? I'm actually kind of disappointed with this chapter, but the Nalu was cute, right? xD Thanks for reading! Please review, I love to hear you're feedback!


End file.
